The Art of Public Speaking

Posts Tagged ‘anxiety about public speaking’

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Some if not many people really hate the idea of having to perform or deliver a speech in front of an audience. Research has shown that the anxiety of public speaking stems from the following reasons:

1. The physical display of signs of anxiety such as shaking or trembling.

There are not many of us who would like being seen by a large audience looking like a wimp, making a fool of one’s self while jittering and trembling.

2. The fear of mental block.

There can be nothing more embarrassing than being watched expectantly for what you are going to say next when you suddenly realize that your memory has just failed you. It is not uncommon with people who are speaking in front of a large audience for their mind to go blank . This is caused by the mental stress one undergoes while speaking in public.

3. Doing anything embarrassing.

For many people the fear of becoming a laughing stock is what makes public speaking very frightening. With a large audience in front of you, you never know what’s in their mind while you are giving your best in delivering your speech.

4. Not making sense or saying silly things.

Like the other reasons why a lot of people cringe at the thought of speaking in public, mumbling unintelligible words or saying something silly is another one of those things that many would not rather not experience.

So with those things being said, what can one do to prevent these from happening.

Prepare Your Speech

The key element in order not to be a victim of these incidents is to be well-prepared. Nothing can beat preparation when it comes to public speaking. Even the smartest person can make use of ample time to gather all the resources he or she will use before delivering a speech. That’s the whole idea behind still having butterflies when speaking but having them flying in formation!

Practice Your Speech

Practice will also make things a lot easier for you. Getting more comfortable with your subject entails practicing the speech in front of a smaller audience like your family or even just by yourself in front of the mirror.

Relax

Also, relaxing oneself before, during and after the speech will make things sail a lot smoother. Doing things that can put you in a relaxed mood such as getting a breath of fresh air will help you in psyching your body before the talk.

Public speaking is an acquired taste for most people. That is, the first taste of it is usually disagreeable to the untrained person. Over time, if emboldened by a few tasty morsels, they can develop a taste for it and eventually they will discover how to ensure that whilst they still have butterflies they will all be flying in formation.

To be exceptional at public speaking requires that one loves the activity for its own sake. In public speaking, to love it means to share with others things you consider of relative value and importance.

Though all people approach public speaking with different goals in mind, a few pointers, if you will on how one can eventually find it an indispensable tool in life.

1. Let go of yourself. When you speak publicly, the only thing on your mind is the speech. It’s really not the time for thoughts of your bills, arguments with the boss, and needing to have the car washed. All these other thoughts get in the way of you being natural on stage.

2. Be uniquely you. This may sound like a contradiction of the first pointer, but nothing is more true. If you let go of your ego and just let your true personality shine though, the audience will be awed by this. This is partly the reason why most people flock to movies and theaters, as a means to express their own feelings albeit vicariously. Words depend on the manner in which they are spoken and less by the matter these words are a part of.

3. Have a chat with your audience. Create a sense of give-and-take communication with the audience. Never let the audience feel you never wanted to be there with them in the first place. You will want your hearers to know that you are speaking with experience from the heart.

4. Wear your heart on your sleeve. Being passionate isn’t right for some occasions, but being passionate in public speaking is just what the doctor ordered. Speak with emotion, confidence and conviction. There is no audience that would rather see the speaker.

5. Practice makes perfect. Practice with your speech and its delivery. Never neglect to exercise the mental and physical traits necessary to create a direct impact on the audience. Measure your performance by capturing your speech on video, or ask for advice from an expert. Find ways to improve your technique.

If you follow these suggestions, you will start to develop a love of the art of public speaking, your butterflies will be flying in formation and you will conquer your fear, worry and anxiety about public speaking